It’s 955 miles from Adelaide in the south to Alice Springs in the Red Centre and another 930 to Darwin in the Top End, a total of 1,885 miles. By comparison, it’s 1,760 miles from the Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas to the Canadian border in North Dakota. It’s a long way, but that’s where the comparison ends. The vast area known as the Outback has one of the lowest population densities in the world with only 775,000 people living in an area that covers about 2/3 of the continental U.S.
So, there isn’t much out there, just vast areas of arid terrain interspersed with stretches of brush (or bush in Aussie), the infrequent roadhouse or cattle station, and a few small towns like Tennant Creek or a ghost town like New Castle Waters. You might see four or five other vehicles in an hour of driving.
Suddenly, the terrain changes and you pass through an interesting geological formation like Devils Marbles. We would love to get out and do a hike, but it is well over 100 degrees. The hike is a short one with big hats and bottles of cold water.
Here are a few photos from Alice Springs to Darwin and the long road in between.
AnZac Memorial on AnZac Hill, Alice Springs. AnZac: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps 
Simpsons Gap, near Alice Springs 
Unknown flower along the journey 
Rock Wallaby, Standley’s Chasm 
Trail to Standley’s Chasm 
Tropic of Capricorn monument. 
Termite mound 
Historic Barrow Creek Telegraph Relay Station. Note the cell tower in the background…. 
Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve 
To boost your signal, place your cell phone on the stand at the top of the red post. Our phone went from no bars to two, enough to call for help Gas Pump, New Castle Waters 
Unknown raptor, possibly a kite. 
Adelaide River Cemetery. Servicemen and civilians killed in Adelaide River and Darwin during WWII are buried here. 127 Americans were buried here until the end of the war when their remains were sent back to the U.S. 
Darwin Street Market 
Darwin Harbor 
Aboriginal painting on car doors. 
Beach in Darwin
Travels with RK Caton 
Incredible trip!
These pix are amazing. The termite mound is kinda creepy! 🙂 But the Devils Marbles are fascinating. Seeing things like wallabies, raptors and Aboriginal painting on car doors makes up for cell towers. Though they are a lifeline if needed. Can’t imagine traveling back in the day when there weren’t cell phones and cell boosters. Darwin Harbor looks very refreshing after so much Outback heat. Wondering if it was still pretty hot in the harbor?